Thousands of Alawis sheltering at Russian base in Syria
"There are thousands of Alawis hidden in the woods, in mountains, waiting for protection"
Until the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, Alawis dominated the Syrian state despite being in the minority. Now, they're vulnerable to reprisals and the violence over the past weeks has shown that in brutal terms. One human rights group believes that 1,400 people died in just a few days - many of them Alawi civilians. Some of those who've survived have taken shelter outside a Russian airbase near the coastal town of Jableh. Newshour's James Menendez contacted one man there who wants to remain anonymous. The internet signal wasn't strong enough to record an interview, so instead, he recorded questions which we sent him, and he sent us answers which we've edited together. Why did he decide to flee with his family?
(Photo: Members of the Syrian Red Crescent pick up people who got injured in the recent clashes between the Syrian government security forces and the supporters of the former regime, at the Russian Hmeimim airbase near Latakia, Syria on 11 March 2025. Credit: Ahmad Fallaha/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
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